a sap,sap story
by gormogon
Summary: my first fringe story because i just discovered this gem of a show and thats weird cause I love science...im only on season two so the characters are still in the middle of figuring out the pattern...i hope i do them justice R&R please
1. Chapter 1

**First chapter of my first fringe story…wish me luck ;-)**

Walter Bishop shuffled through the lab with uneasiness,Astrid knew this because she liked to think she had been working with him long sometimes called her his mood detector while Peter was referred to as his translator.

Also if the inability to sit still for two minutes like a dog that cant decide whether he wants to mark his territory or not was any thing to go by she felt her theory was the best choice.

The third time he smacked a conical flask on the countertop reciting a tune from hunchback of Notre Dame she finally snapped

'Walter please don't do that,we have totalled our maximum allowance of conical flasks from our supplier'

He looks at the floor with that hurt childish face of his.

'Listen Walter I know you are frustrated because its been a while since we have had a case but-

'If time were a linear pattern it would be an era since we have had a case,Thomas Malthus' theory suggests a certain amount of the population needs to be eliminated so the rest can support ourselves on the resources given to us'

'Walter that's a horrible thing to-

As if the man himself had heard Walter's plea Peter came to tell them that there had been a murder.

Walter was still humming the song from The Hunchback when they arrived at the crime scene.

'is it me or does this look like he went a bit Tarzan?' as ever Peters sense of humour couldn't help but make Olivia smile even at these inappropriate times.

There was a tree branch grasped in the mans grip as if he was swinging from the tree beforehand.

Peter began searching the crime scene, his perception rivalled Sherlock Holmes when he made observations. Olivia was secretly in awe of this but she would never admit it,if only to keep Peter's ego in check.

As Walter knelt to examine the body he noticed the distinct smell of Sap on the man's body,and when he searched the tree he noticed it was intact bark and all.

'Aster-

'Astrid, Walter my name is Astrid-

'Yes,am come here please do you smell that overpowering stench of sap?'

'ugh yes Walter and I don't even have to go that near,is that sap as in sap from the inside of a tree?'

'Yes I believe so and I think its coming from the wound at his neck here from where the branch entered his body'

'Walter are you saying his blood is oozing sap?'

'mmm I like that word oozing very onomatopoeic, don't you think? It reminds me of….'

As Walter drifted off again Astrid shook his arm to try and bring him back to the moment.

'What does it remind you of Walter?'

'Pie, I would love some pie where the apples ooze from the pastry,haven't had it in years'

'Peter can we please go get some pie on the way back to the lab while this body is being transported'

Peter had to smile to ease his slightly demented father. It always had a calming effect on Walter for some reason.

'Broyles says the victim had a wife maybe she has an idea what her husband was up to and why he was here'

This case wasn't going to be easy Olivia thought since there were no witnesses. The furrow that marked her brows made Peter smile secretly to himself,he knew she was having an internal debate with herself but she looked so beautifully vulnerable on the outside it was such a rare look he couldn't help but relish it.

To try and distract himself from staring he voiced his own opinions

'there's something odd about that branch,it almost seems like it attacked the victim,do you see how it bends from its natural course of growth to end up protruding from the victim'

'I suppose anything is possible Peter,is it perhaps possible to go get some Pie now Peter?'

'Yes Walter we can go get some pie now,we can catch up with Olivia later ok'

'Ya I'll go question the wife'

It tug at her heart to see Peter's protectiveness and caring side towards his felt the same way towards her sister of course especially with her sister's capacity to make bad life choices but the patience with which Peter dealt with his father and his afflictions made Olivia admire him…though she would never admit it….


	2. Chapter 2

The body arrived at the lab at least half an hour before Peter and Walter did since Walter insisted on trying all the flavours of pie the local diner offered. Peter half expected Walter to be overcome with early onset diabetes but no such luck. However he did think that it may have affected his brain as Peter walked in to find Walter about to poke the dead body with a burning flint.

'hey woah woah,Walter hold your horses what are you-

Before Peter could reach Walter,he had already put the flint towards the open wound from the body's chest.

'Did that just pop? Carbon dioxide is coming off the body'

'ah yes Peter good observation my son,yes I believe the Carbon dioxide is coming from the blood stream of this poor man but why or how it did not just evaporate staright away I cannot tell'

Thinking of the branch found protruding from the body Peter had an idea

'Walter could the SAP have something to do with it? I mean I know it sounds crazy but do you think this man somehow has sap for blood and the SAP as we know absorbed carbon dioxide from the air'

'why Peter you may very well be right since the level of Carbon dioxide is far greater than what we have present in our bodies and as you have just claimed it so shall it be'

As Walter makes an incision in the victim's arm to open the brachial artery, they both notice the black ooze of what was unmistakable SAP coming from the cut.

'that sure don't look like no molasses to me sonny boy'

'Nice comical timing Walter' Peter responded sarcastically

On the other side of town, Olivia was going to question the victim's wife. She figured from this side of the neighbourhood this power couple were bringing home at least a six figure salary. So how does a man so well-off end up swinging from trees in a run down park? She was about to find out as a well dressed woman answered the door

'Hi Mrs Parker, Im Det. Olivia Dunham from the FBI, we spoke on the phone earlier, May I come in I just have to ask you some questions concerning your husband's death?'

'Of course,its very sad what happened to Tim'

'yes it is,when was the last time you spoke to your husband Mrs Parker?'

'to tell you the truth Miss Dunham I was actually in the middle of divorce proceedings with Tim,we were both leading very different lives you see'

That explained the lack of tears to Olivia and the absence of photographs of the two of them.

'But to answer your question,I have not spoken to Tim in just over a fortnight now'

'do you know if he had any enemies or people who would want to harm him?'

'well you see Tim was quite an eccentric personality,he would frequent some nameless bars when the mood struck him'

'so he never showed any interest in nature,did he ever go mountain climbing,that kind of thing?'

Mrs Parker looked completely mystified by Olivia or maybe it was disgust at having such a commoner in her grand mansion but Olivia didn't care,she was a detective long enough to know when somebody was evading and this woman was a red flag.

'the only nature Tim knew of was the maple leaf on the side of a beer bottle,now Miss Dunham if you don't mind I have a very important appointment?'

'of course I wont keep you but if I do have more questions as the case progresses I will call again'

'naturally'

Olivia almost felt like breaking a vase of dirtying the carpet as she left the pristine house,the house that was as cold as its owner.

'she was here just now asking all the usual questions,it wont take long before she figures it out,you may be called upon next'

And the cold woman put the phone down with a sigh of inconvenience before going to meet her client.


End file.
